A beautiful sunny day at the theatre of dreams saw Henley arrive and promptly insert the Rs into the field.

 

On a track where batting would be relatively easy the Rs felt a target of around 250 would be acceptable and Henley opener, Lee Styler, decided that he would try and get a boundary off every ball. Some big hitting but he could only get the odd one off the bowling of Jay and, with Scott Rogers doing his best to avoid bowling at Styler, it was Rogers who made the breakthrough, bowling the chirpy Ross for a mere 4 runs. Styler was still there competing against Jay, who had him dropped earlier in the season. It was to happen again as Styler chipped one up to Clive Haywood who did his usual trick and rolled the ball back to a disconsolate Jay! Styler and Hearndon put on 97 more runs before Styler was bowled by Dale Glover for 46. Hearndon was joined by German and they added another 52 before Hearndon was snapped up by Rogers for 57 off Eike Gilbert. In came J Perry who only lasted 16 balls...........the problem was that he hit 47 in those 16 balls before skying one to Mike Nash off Gilbert. The tail didn't wag that much with the next five batsmen adding 12 runs, Leon Clarke doing most of the damage there. German had his day (and so did his namesake football team) and completed with 51 no, but the damage was done by Perry's destructive innings of 47. Henley ending 264 - 8.

The weary Rowington bowlers, Luckless Jay 0 - 48, Save my figures Rogers 1 - 18, Golden Boy Glover 1 - 20, Gilbert the German 3 - 44, Cliff Clarke 2 - 36 and Rowington's overseas star No Runs Nash 0 - 62, brought in to make a telling contribution to the Henley score!

 

In reply the Rs really needed a fast start but Perry was bowling at a pace that hindered the opening pair of Alex Smith and Mike Nash - by the 10th over both had gone for 3 and 17 respectively. Gilbert and Jay lookalike, Simon Cross, came together but Gilbert only added 10 before Breaker bowled him. The score was on 52 off 16 and far too slow to hit the target - the Rs needed to up the run rate. Matt Page did his best but went for 16 LBW to Ray Perry and Scott Rogers hit 18 before being caught by man of the moment, J Perry, on the boundary off R Perry. He was unnecessarily jeered off by some uncouth Henley players, obviously brought up in more park then paradise pitches, with the umpire quickly putting a stop to this unwarranted behaviour! Cross carried on but players fell around him, Haywood 8, Glover a quick-fire 35, most of them coming off a raging J Perry! Leon Clarke (19 no) marshalled the Rs past the 200 mark with Cross (86 no) as the Rs settled for 9 points and denied Henley any extra points to end the game 35 short on 229 - 7.

J Perry 1 - 47, R Perry 2 - 52, Potter 2 - 26, Breaker 1 - 67 and Heardon 1 - 27 the bowlers.

 

Rowington take on the might of Western Australia in a 20/20 on Friday and with Mike Nash playing for the Aussies the Rs can look forward to getting a few runs, well.....on this bowling performance we can!!!

Steve Jay